


A Drunken Slip of Tongue

by gottawriteanegoortwo



Series: Dilliam [4]
Category: Who Killed Markiplier? (Web Series)
Genre: Alcohol, Intoxication, M/M, Secret Relationship, Though he's only tipsy, William is a gentleman
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-20
Updated: 2019-06-23
Packaged: 2021-03-06 03:33:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,951
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25766755
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gottawriteanegoortwo/pseuds/gottawriteanegoortwo
Summary: William has been staying in Damien's mayoral accommodation while his own home is being repaired. It means that he is present when a tipsy Damien spills a secret that's been on his mind for a long time.
Relationships: Damien | The Mayor/Wilford Warfstache | William J. Barnum | The Colonel
Series: Dilliam [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1869208
Comments: 3
Kudos: 31





	1. Admitting a Secret

William’s little cottage had been flooded, and Damien insisted he stay in one of the guest rooms in the Mayor’s home until the issue was dealt with. For the last week, William had been seeing a different side to the man he had known since childhood. Damien was still the bright, charming young man he always had been, had his moments of frustration that he didn’t dare express outside his home. The pair had good conversations some evenings, and the solider watched the politician go to a formal function on three hours of sleep and after a full day in the office.

“I’ll be fine, Colonel,” Damien insisted with a smile. “I’ve managed before. Tomorrow’s Sunday, so I can rest after that.”

It was now 2am on Sunday morning and there was no sign of Damien. Even if some of the staff had insisted Damien would be safe before they went to bed, William stayed awake. He paced the length and breadth of the sitting room, stopping at the window to check for any sign of life outside. Just when he was tempted to go out and search, life appeared.

Damien just about managed to open the door before stumbling over his own feet. It was sheer luck William was able to dash over and catch him before he hit the floor.

“Damien! What took you so long? The party should have ended hours ago!” The worry was clear, but Damien didn’t seem to notice.

“Edward Paulson and some of his friends invited me to stay for an extra drink. Only had two extra drinks. They’re really nice people. They helped support me all the way when no one else did.” Oh no. The rare ‘sappy drunk Damien’ was coming through. As William hefted the drunken Mayor toward the stairs, he wondered if the exhaustion was only making the alcohol hit harder. Damien was normally careful with his drinks in public.

“Yes, yes, and you can worry about that tomorrow. Right now we need to get you to bed so -”

“Colonel!” The name was shouted, which made Damien flinch at his own voice. When he spoke again, it was a whisper. “I completely forgot he was here. I should have invited him along. He’s always good at parties, you know.”

An eyebrow quirked at this. Yes, William wasn’t wearing his uniform or his glasses, but did Damien honestly think he was talking to someone else? Just as he was about to set the matter straight, Damien sniffed.

“You know, there’s always something I’ve wanted to do. But I can’t. Everyone will hate me.” Damien sighed, shaking his head. Before William could ask, Damien continued, “I wanna kiss a man. But not any man. I wanna kiss the Colonel.”

“T-the Colonel?” William sputtered, nearly dropping Damien in surprise as they reached the top of the stairs.

“Shh! Shh, shhh! He’s sleeping over there!” One hand sloppily gestured to a door. “I don’t want him to know. No one can know. You can’t tell him, okay? He’ll hate me forever. I think I love him but I’m so scared.” William stopped walking briefly as they reached Damien’s door. This was a lot to take in. Seeing Damien so timid and apprehensive because of _him?_ How could William respond to that?

“Don’t be scared, Damien. Have faith. Courage will work wonders.” William didn’t say any more than that as he helped Damien into bed. This was a topic to have sober, and not one Damien would want to hear he mentioned while drunk. As Damien quickly drifted off, the soldier’s expression softened. 

He had feelings for Damien, romantic ones, but he didn’t want to cause trouble amongst their friends. But… If Celine and Mark could be happy together, why couldn’t they? Maybe he ought to try and drop a hint when Damien recovered.


	2. Facing the Truth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The morning after the night before, Damien finds himself having a conversation he had been too scared to have with William.

When it came to drinking alcohol, Damien was some sort of freak. No matter how drunk he got, the concept of a ‘hangover’ was something that eluded him. In fact, the only reason he nursed a cup of tea the following morning was because of how physically exhausted he was. At least it was Sunday. No work, and the staff had the day off. That meant he could rest and recover in peace. A friend from university had recommended a Gothic novel that he had been intending to start. If he grabbed the blanket from his room, he could spend the day lazing on the couch reading it.

Hearing a door shut upstairs immediately popped that bubble.

Dread began to form in the pit of Damien’s stomach. There was _something_ about last night… Wait. No!

By the time William came downstairs - moustache fluffier than usual and hair ruffled after tossing and turning half the night - he was rather surprised to find Damien pulling on his coat.

“Ah, Colonel! What rotten luck. I was just on my way out. Emergency meeting.”

“On a Sunday?” Odd for the Mayor who always insisted that Sunday be a day of rest to be working.

“It is rather unfortunate, yes. But duty calls.”

“Even if that means dashing across the city in your silken pyjamas?”

Damien looked down. Oh. That was a problem. He had forgotten about that. The soldier’s eyebrows raised in amusement behind those large glasses as he watched the rather unusual behaviour.

“For someone who always gives out to me for running away from my problems, you’re doing a bloody awful job at it.” William threw a glance toward the kitchen, as though pretending he didn’t know what the source might be. “Did the kettle cause a fuss again? Would you like me to beat it to a pulp for you, Mister Mayor?” Had it been any other time, Damien might have laughed at the bizarre train of thought William had. It was always endearing to him, but right now it was only driving home a problem he thought he had buried as deep as he could.

“I… No. You’re alright. I just feel so… off, today.” He left his cane upstairs. Damien began to wring his hands together as he tried to shake off some of the dread. He couldn’t say anything. It would ruin everything. He would suffer the same fate as those unfortunate souls who had their darkest secrets stolen from them. That fear was impossible to miss; almost making those hazel eyes dull with dread. William could see that from several feet away. Either they forever dance around this topic, or one of them takes a stand and actually does something about it. As much as he didn’t want to, William realised it was up to him.

“Damien… You know you can trust me, don’t you? I would lay my life down if it meant keeping your reputation and honour untainted. Whatever storm is in that head of yours, we can work on it.” He had to handle this like he would with any soldier under his command. Be that responsible figure that could guide them through doubts and fear. However, the words had the opposite effect, making the normally proud Mayor recoil slightly. William dropped his head to the right in an attempt to make eye contact, and gave a hint of that soft smile under the moustache.

“There is nothing you can say that will scare me away. Try all you might, but I am a very brave soldier who has very few fears. Courage will work wonders, old chap.” As William finished, Damien’s eyes widened. He remembered those words last night. After making his confession, the butler brought him… His butler didn’t have a moustache. 

“Oh **fuck** … That was you last night.” A hand shot up to his mouth as he took a step back.

“Language, Damien,” teased the Colonel in an attempt to lighten the mood. Thankfully, instead of relying solely on comedy, he actually returned to the topic at hand. “Yes, it was me you were talking to, and I know I’m the last person you wanted to say any of that to but… God, I didn’t think I’d ever have this conversation with you.” A hand rubbed his jaw as he tried to figure out the thoughts that had been erratically bouncing in his head most of the night. He wanted to be honest and speak waxing poetics from the heart. But he wasn’t eloquent like Damien. He was incapable of comparing Damien to… a something romantic and sweet. The only option he had was to be blunt and hope it worked.

“I’ve wanted to kiss you too.” There. Perfect. In response, Damien gave a short series of wide, slow blinks that made William believe it might be a message in Morse code. “I might say I’ve wanted to for a long time. I wanted to write it in any of the letters I sent you during the war, but I was so scared. What if you hated me? Or worse… What if you didn’t, and I never returned?” Part of his reason for staying for so long was to protect those he cared about, after all. But knowing that Damien might actually care, even if it was only a little, was enough for William to do them both a favour and step forward instead of running away.

So he did.

He slowly approached, encouraged by the way Damien’s hands slowly fell to his sides. They maintained eye contact until they were inches apart.

“Damien… May I kiss you?”

“You may.”

A hand gently brushed against Damien’s cheek as the solider leaned down. A shaky breath was the only indication of William’s nerves before he closed the gap with a soft kiss. There was no drama, no passion, no desperate drive to ‘make up for lost time’. Instead, when they pulled back, William was rewarded with the sight of the Mayor looking at him with a bashful expression and a blush on his face. The moment passed as Damien quickly rubbed two fingers over his top lip with what he would swear sounded like a giggle.

“Your moustache tickles,” he admitted in a quiet voice. “I didn’t think it would.” That was all he could say before William leaned back down. This time, to rub his moustache against Damien’s unsuspecting cheek. A squawk of “Colonel!” was yet another reward for the soldier, though he had to bring things back to the present.

“Actually… If we are doing this… I’d rather you not call me ‘Colonel’. It will help when we are with friends.” The unusual suggestion made Damien’s expression furrow in thought, before an idea came to him.

“… Will? Would that be okay?” The nickname seemed to be more than ‘okay’, and it spurred Damien on. “In that case… I love you, Will. I-I think I have for a long time now.”

“I love you too, Dames.” It was an immediate response as William dared to take a hand in his. The gamble paid off. Damien’s hand was so soft in his. He had to give it a reassuring squeeze. “I am okay with being your secret. If we can be together, then I’m happy.” That was enough for Damien to beam and pull the larger man into a tight hug, tears brimming with joy and relief.

“We have the day to ourselves. I just want to spend every minute of it in your arms, Will.”

Who was the soldier to refuse his Mayor? It certainly wouldn’t be an issue when he felt himself dozing off on the couch, Damien in his arms and wrapped up in that large blanket. This was the love both had yearned for. Simple, domestic, blissful. What else would matter if they could have moments like these together?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally posted on gottawriteanegoortwo and backdated to match that. I'm currently trying to figure this site out and resist the urge to edit my older work while uploading it.

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted on [gottawriteanegoortwo](https://gottawriteanegoortwo.tumblr.com/post/185733293677/i-just-wanted-to-send-a-small-prompt-but-it-got) and backdated to match that. I'm currently trying to figure this site out and resist the urge to edit my older work while uploading it. Both chapters were anonymous requests!


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